3 tips to convince you to go digital now...

IMPRESSIONS

NO matter who told you otherwise, digital impressions are now statistically better and more accurate than conventional impressions, period. Check any study and you’ll find this to be true. Forget impression material, forget trays, forget gagging patients and forget plaster and stone. If you’ve not embraced digital impressions for the majority of your dental laboratory work and records, you’re falling way behind and wasting money. Digital impressions pave the way to more reliable and better fitting restorations and appliances. Your patient, your lab and your bank account will thank you!

3D PRINTING

Get a 3D printer. If you have an intraoral scanner, unless you totally outsource, you will also need a 3D printer. This will convert your scans to physical models when you need them. Also, you’ll be able to manipulate your scan data using simple CAD programs and print the results - Great for simple smile design mock-ups, clear aligners, splints, surgical guides, temps, etc. Compact 3D printers are inexpensive and are now “do all” machines. Your dental laboratory will still be able to design and construct the more complex cases for you, otherwise you’ll turn into your own lab and that may not be ideal!

OUTSOURCE

Consider the option of outsourcing your computer-aided designs. Let’s face it, creating designs using CAD design software is not for everyone. If you don’t have a human resource in-house who is a design whiz, there are now great design service laboratories (like fabdent.com.au) that will design most dental things for you at a cost-effective price. They are experienced and will save you a ton of time, money and stress on your next case. You can then decide how you’ll manufacture, be it in-house milling or printing, outsourced elsewhere... or even by sending it to your local dental laboratory.